Greek Lemon and Orzo Soup

It's finally getting cold out in Atlanta, and soup is one of my favorite things to make.  I love making soup because it is a lighter meal but always so soothing.  The recipe below is a Rachael Ray recipe that I modified to be a bit more filling.  I tend to make soup as a main dish so I always want some sort of protein to be involved.  Below is an absolutely amazing soup recipe that is light, healthy, and very easy to make! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!


 Greek Lemon and Orzo Soup

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken broth (64 ounces)
• One 2-inch strip lemon peel and juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 bay leaf
• A pinch of mustard powder
• 1/2 lbs chicken, diced
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 2 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
• 2 drops hot sauce
• A couple generous handfuls of flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Pita chips (any flavor), for serving,  I use Stacy Simply Naked chips because the soup already has so much flavor

Preparation

In a soup pot, bring the broth, lemon peel, bay leaf, diced chicken, and saffron to a boil. Stir in the orzo and boil for 5 minutes. Cover, remove the pan from the heat and let the orzo steep for 5 minutes. Discard the lemon peel and bay leaf.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks, lemon juice and hot sauce. Whisk in 1/2 cup soup to temper the eggs, then whisk the egg mixture into the soup. Cook on low heat, whisking, for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley; season with salt and pepper. Serve with pita chips.